Doing Business with South Africa 2019/2020

Foreign Trade and Foreign Chambers

When you are doing business with South Africa as a foreigner or expat you will usually enjoy the support of the foreign trade department of your country in regards to exports and imports.

In 2019, South Africa ranks 84th (out of 190 economies) for 'Ease of Doing Business' in the annual report by the World Bank 'Doing Business'. The best ranked category for South Africa is 'Protecting Minority Investors' South Africa ranking 13th.

When investing in South Africa's economy, the foreign Chambers of Commerce and Industry will provide support additional to the support you can get from South African business associations and various national institutions. 

In the ExpatCapeTown listing below you will find foreign associations that offer useful advice when doing business with South Africa. These foreign chambers provide good resources for expats and locals, share country-specific information on the different business sectors and initiate and support networking connections, training sessions and events.

You are encouraged to contact your national business association to find out more about their services in South Africa. 

Doing Business with South Africa | Foreign Trade Partners

South Africa's top trading partners for imports and exports are:

• China
• Germany
• USA
• Japan
• UK
• Saudi Arabia

Among the main imports are machinery and scientific equipment, petroleum products, chemicals and food products. The main exports of South Africa are natural resources and precious metals such as gold, diamonds and platinum as well as machinery, equipment and vehicles.

Major investment opportunities for foreign companies exist in the sector of Biofuels, Business Process Outsourcing and Green Economy. The Development of Industial Zones at Coega, Richards Bay, Dube, East London and Saldanha Bay also creates numerous investment opportunities for foreign companies. Read more...

Foreign Chambers and Trade Commissions in South Africa

Most of the foreign business chambers and foreign trade departments are located in Johannesburg. They provide information about doing business in South Africa, are great for networking and connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs.

• Austria: Austrian South African Business Chamber in Southern Africa
• Belgium: Belgian Chamber of Commerce for South Africa
• Italy: Italian - South African Chamber of Trade and Industries
• Ireland: Business Ireland - Cape Town Chapter
• Netherlands: South African Netherlands Chamber of Commerce 
• Spain: Spanish Chamber of Commerce in South Africa
• Switzerland: Swiss Cham Africa
• Turkey: South African-Turkish Business Association
• UK: British Chamber in South Africa 
• USA: American Chamber of Commerce South Africa 

Foreign Chambers in Cape Town

As Cape Town and the Western Cape are an important business hub in South Africa, some of the foreign chambers have representations in Cape Town too. These are the international business associations with offices in Cape Town:

• France: French - South African Chamber
• Germany: Southern African - German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• UK: British Chamber in South Africa 

Image Credit: Cape Town CBD from SunshineSeeds/Shutterstock.com and others from shutterstock.com or own images

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